1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a paper supply device for supplying paper and an image forming device equipped with same.
2. Background Information
Image forming devices such as copying machines, printer devices, and facsimiles, are generally equipped with a paper supply device for supplying paper. These paper supply devices are equipped with a cassette paper supply unit for supplying paper from a paper supply cassette where a plurality of paper is stored, as well as a manual feed paper supply unit for supplying a comparatively small number of sheets. The paper supply devices having these types of cassette paper supply units and manual feed paper supply units are equipped with dedicated paper supply rollers that are exclusively used in each of the cassette paper supply units and manual feed paper supply units. Further, the rotating action of these paper supply rollers sends sheets of paper into the main unit of the image forming device.
Paper supply cassettes or manual feed paper supply trays, generally, are further equipped with a regulating member for regulating the position in the width direction of the paper in accordance with the size of the paper. Further, the side-to-side sliding action of the regulating member on the paper regulates the position in the width direction of the paper.
When regulating the position of the paper stored within the paper supply cassette or loaded into the manual feed paper supply tray, the paper may slip to the side (skew) or float up. When attempting to feed paper by the paper supply roller in this state, problems are generated including paper jams and mis-feeds caused by the feeding of skewed paper.
A paper supply device to avoid these types of inconveniences has been proposed, for example, in Japanese Laid Open Patent Publication No. 2003-312872. This paper supply device comprises a paper supply roller for feeding paper set in the manual feed paper supply tray, a regulating member for regulating the lateral position of the paper, and a pressing member for pressing the top edge of the paper mounted in the manual feed tray in the orthogonal direction to the paper feed direction. Accordingly, any shearing that occurs due to tilting (skew) can be regulated because the top edge of the paper is pressed down even if the paper tries to float upward when the paper position is regulated by the regulating member.
However, the conventional paper supply device requires a certain amount of weight when pressing the paper by means of the pressing member, and in particular, when there are only a few sheets set in the manual feed paper supply tray, a large amount of weight is required to press the paper. Accordingly, problems occur such as multi-feeding of the paper, and marks being produced on the paper due to the strong friction between the paper and the paper supply rollers, because the weight is applied as a load in order to feed the paper by means of the paper supply rollers, and the feeding load is greater at the time of paper supply. In addition, it will become more difficult for a user to set the paper into the manual feed paper supply tray, and thus reduce usability, because the load resistance between the paper and the pressing member will increase when a user sets paper into the manual feed paper supply tray.